A wee interview with Kirstin from Allium Gallery & Gifts in South Queensferry

As part of the 'GATHER' exhibition that I am currently taking part in with other local artists, here is a wee 'Meet the Artists' interview with myself and gallery owner, Kirstin Heggie. The exhibition runs until the end of August 2019.

Tell us a bit about your art. What do you enjoy painting, what materials and methods do you prefer? What inspires you?

I am a botanical and natural history illustrator. Nature in general has always intrigued me, but over the years my favourite natural objects to draw are seed pods and bugs. I like to experiment with different media, but most of my work is created using coloured pencils, ink pen or watercolours. I am inspired by the intricate details of nature, and I enjoy the challenge of incorporating these minute details into my work, especially in my botanical paintings. An extremely detailed botanical piece can take me over 200 hours to complete!

Have you always been an artist?

I have been a professional artist for a couple of years now. I have a graphic design background and worked in this field for over 15 years before deciding to take the plunge into becoming a full time artist after completing a diploma in Botanical Illustration at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2016.

Where do you create your art?

I create my art in my home studio, which is really just the dining room table. It has become a permanent set up and my never-complaining husband has put up with eating dinner off his lap since I started taking over the flat with all my art supplies in 2014.

Who is your favourite artist?

There are a few, but Rory McEwan is one of my favourite botanical illustrators, and Katie Scott, one of my favourite wildlife illustrators.

Do you listen to music while you work? Who is on your playlist?

I tend to mix it up depending on my mood. I listen to a lot of podcasts, including: Stuff you should know; No such thing as a fish and Etsy conversations podcast, among others. When I don’t feel like listening to podcasts, I put my Spotify playlist on random so it will run for hours without me having to stop what I am doing and think who to play next. The latest addition to my playlist is Django Django.

Give us a random fun fact about yourself :)

I have an uncanny knack of killing any houseplant I own.